Deciphering Code
by Sable-Reiver
Summary: Canon Divergence. Reid is mute and Morgan has an uncanny knack for translating. ReidxMorgan
1. Chapter 1

It's frustrating, Morgan imagines, being so incredibly smart and having such a detrimental communication system. Reid's hands are a flurry of movement and symbols, trying desperately to explain his logic both quickly and concisely.

It's a challenge to say the least. But they all learned more quickly than he had expected, striving for clear communication. It's not always very clear, but it always gets through somehow.

It was worse in the beginning; Reid had joined the team and only Hotch had any experience in understanding sign language, everyone else just had their overeager agreeableness. But they all learned and, for the most part, can comprehend all the motions and signs that Reid works into his speeches.

Still, Reid gets excited and becomes a whirlwind of hand gestures and words that Morgan isn't entirely sure are real, and it seems that he's best suited to figuring out what the genius is saying. They tease him and say that Morgan knows half the things Reid is thinking just by the look on his face. The funny thing is, though, that they're not exactly wrong.

"Pardon?"

Reid signs the phrase again, slowly and impatiently, obviously having spent awhile going over this. JJ's brow furrows as she tries to puzzle out the practiced movements to little avail.

As Morgan goes to walk by Reid grabs his wrist before signing to him fast and sloppy, running a hand through his hair when he's done. "He wants you to pull the paperwork from the last case, he says something's not sitting right."

JJ nods her head, first at Morgan and then at Reid. "Of course, I'll have it to you this evening."

Reid smiles at her with a quick thank you, pushes his hand into Morgan's shoulder and signs something that has the older profiler lightly nudge the genius, "Sure thing, Pretty Boy." before they both leave; Reid to his desk and Morgan to their small staff room. Sure, Reid's managed to find family in all of the team, even as they lose and gain new members, but Morgan is something special, at least, he likes to think he is.

For someone with an apparent lack of vocal ability, Reid is impossibly loud. He goes on signing _tangents_ that all consist of "do you know"'s and "actually it's…"'s. Morgan is trying to finish up some last minute paperwork from their last case and Reid is there, signing away from the corner of Morgan's desk like it's nothing.

It would take more concentration than Morgan has to spare right now to fully understand what Reid's on about when he's this excited, but it's something to do with part of the original Star Trek cast coming to Quantico's comic book convention and, while Reid doesn't get excited over a lot of his extracurricular activities, Star Trek is something he's always held dear.

"Sounds fun, man. You going?"

Reid gets silent and Morgan understands. They can plan whatever they'd like and whenever they'd like to, but the wicked never seem to rest and, thus, they can't afford to either.

"Hey, if we can, I'll go with you to see them, okay?"

The desk jerks at Reid's sudden movement, but the younger man is smiling, his face lit up like Christmas came early because no one willingly wants to go to conventions with him, and Morgan can't bring himself to mind the unprofessional pen line through his paperwork or that he's written maybe half a sentence in the last five minutes, there's a warmth in his chest that settles itself deeper at Reid's smile.

The warmth stays there for the rest of the day and helps lull him to sleep at night and Morgan thinks that he would love to have Reid look at him like that for the rest of his life and then thinks –

_Oh_

It kind of makes his chest ache and he swears he's the dumbest profiler on the planet, but he chooses to ignore it for now.

It's been a long week. It's been a long couple of weeks. Morgan doesn't know what's gotten into the world but it's been such a long _while_ that he can't be sure when it even started, but it's been back to back cases in the immediate past and it seems like it's going to carry on over to the immediate future and the team is _tired_.

They go out to eat, even after spending so much time together they need free time with the only other people who understand their position understand that they're sluggish not because their work has physically exhausted them, but has been wearing on them mentally.

Hotch picked out a nice restaurant and the company is picking up the tab, so they all sit down and are idly chatting about anything other than the news or their recent slew of cases; Prentiss is asking him something about his favourite Vonnegut book and it's taking all of his concentration to hear her over the din of the crowded restaurant.

The waitress comes around and everyone only half stops their conversation to order. Reid signs something to JJ who, Morgan is sure hasn't slept in the last 48 hours, and she's half asking Reid and half telling the waitress the food items he wants. It's all wrong, but Reid has a soft spot for JJ and has always been too nice to correct someone about something so trivial.

Morgan cuts in, explains his order properly and turns back to Prentiss to ask her opinions on Time Quake and Vonnegut's usage of Kilgore Trout. He has trouble getting through his next sentence when he feels Reid's hand come to rest on his knee and give it a light squeeze in thanks.

Reid is smiling, happy, ridiculously pleased that Morgan would, could, with so little effort, understand, translate, and convey everything he wanted to say with such ease. And Morgan can't find anything better to respond with than to grasp Reid's hand with his own and squeeze it in response.

They're on a case, and if that's not the single most frustrating thing in Reid's life Morgan isn't sure what is; no one takes him seriously, firstly because of his age, and secondly because Reid carries around a tablet or notepad to communicate with the locals. It's something that often upsets the local police department, but Reid hurriedly scratches out explanations when no one else can and it's the most effective way he can communicate to anyone outside of the team. They still thinks it makes him under qualified.

So when they're out of Quantico Morgan takes it upon himself to be Reid's translator, twisting Reid's obscure terms and fast explanations into something that doesn't require further confused conversation, even if it does get Reid to furrow his brow in the way that says _No, I meant moot. Moot is the more correct term._

Sometimes, however, it earns Morgan a soft smile, one that Morgan has learned, comes from the older profiler having learned something from Reid, science or literary terms or even the way Reid demonstrates certain codes. These times make it worth knowing that the little swirly thing Reid does with his forefingers means he's talking about String Theory and that, when talking about differences in writing, Reid changes the fluidity of his hands to physically get the variances across.

Not everyone is as accepting as the team and Morgan tries to protect Reid from the ignorance of small towns as well as the harm from unsubs. Reid does the same, trying to protect the team intellectually instead of physically. Neither way works 100% of the time.

By the time they get Reid out of the house with the unsub and his latest victim, he's covered in blood. "You okay?" Reid nods, the police blanket around his shoulders make him look small and fragile though Morgan knows the look in the kid's face and can tell that it's anger at himself that's making him quiet.

"There was nothing you could have done." The look Reid gives him is not an impressed one. "You saved a lot of people."

_I couldn't save her._

Morgan doesn't respond, they both know that you can't always save them. Instead he wraps an arm around the genius. "Time to get you cleaned up."

The truth is if it had been anyone else that had wandered into the secluded back house they would have been dead, the traps in the secret basement all being riddles using the theories of a rather new and relatively obscure scientist the unsub was trying to frame. Reid won't forgive himself for being too late to save Gail O'Neil's life but Morgan's just glad he made it out alive.

Reid gives the arm around his shoulders a look before turning it onto Morgan himself. He doesn't say anything, neither of them do, but they've always been good like that; Reid always in his head, reading his thoughts, and Morgan, always there to understand and say what Reid can't get across. Morgan muses, sometime later when the team is sleeping on the plane back home, that he's kind of awful at communicating and is lucky enough to have found a friend who doesn't mind. It works for them, and that's enough.

Morgan has a horrible migraine and he's not sure if has to do with the recent pressure change or the amount of work they've been doing recently, but there is not enough medication or coffee in his system yet to deal with the way Reid is throwing about scientific terms at him.

"Great." Morgan supplies when necessary, trying to sound encouraging as he fixes himself his second coffee of the day.

He gets entranced, as the pot percolates, by Reid's hands and how he never quite noticed how graceful they are when he talks, all precise movements and elegant fingers. Morgan is a little put out when they stop moving, only to find that it's because he's grabbed them, Reid looking at him a little concerned, but also put out that he didn't get to finish the explanation why this scientist's work is _groundbreaking_.

And Morgan decides he can do nothing but kiss the genius. They've both known that it was bound to happen, but it seems to make Reid freeze in place anyway and maybe Morgan was wrong, maybe this _wasn't_ where the apex of this tension was, but then he responds, pushing a hand into Morgan's chest and signing three quick words that make both of them stop, Reid refusing eye contact.

"Of course," Morgan responds, smiling broadly. "me too."

* * *

_A/N: Happy Easter, all!_

_-R_


	2. Chapter 2

Staring at the notepad on his desk Reid is stuck thinking about how much being a technophobe has impacted his life. On principle he hates smart phones and tablets and the box that you have to route everything through to set up your TV.

It's only logical to fear technology, what with the scientific dabbling into AI unites and the fact that a company called Skynet actually does exist. He's not trying to insinuate that the world will be overrun by Termonators or any form of Cyborg or android/gydroid, just that there is logic in precaution.

So when Garcia hands him a Smartphone on his birthday Reid is honestly torn between being polite and throwing the phone back to Garcia as if it burns him. Seeing his dilemma Garcia laughs and turns it on for him.

"I know how you feel about technology, genius, that's why your own resident goddess customized this phone to resemble your old one with the added bonus of easy communication."

She taps at the screen of Reid's phone a couple of times and Reid has to admit that the interface looks a lot like the flip phone presently in his own pocket. Garcia brings up an application and dials a number, her own as it turns out, and shows him that it's a form of video chat.

Honestly, Reid is so insanely touched by the gift that he forgoes any form of professional social procedure and just hugs Garcia tightly. He hates technology with a passion but he thinks an exception can be made.

Always having been one for a more tangible form of existence, Reid has never understood why the people of the twenty-first century have slowly started putting their whole lives into phones and laptops and ignoring the world around them. Even after he transfers his numbers and information onto the phone Garcia makes him for his birthday it get's maybe as much use as his old one did- that is to say: not a lot.

It's useful, he understands, but it's not until that's solely how Morgan starts communicating with him when they're apart that Reid realizes that they can actually be together when they're apart like most people in this communication age. And really, Reid is all about clear communication.

Texting has always made Reid reel; if you're after a conversation simply talk to the person, texting is impersonal and convoluted and altogether a menace to understanding another one another, he's painstakingly used it out of necessity but it's never been something that he's condoned.

Video chat, Reid finds, he has a very different opinion on. Morgan always talk to Reid like a person, the whole team does, calling him on the phone during cases to give him updates on the unsub or their location even though they know he can't verbally confirm anything. It's nice compared to the people at coffee shops who try to speak to him like a small child. So when Reid gets video chat he suspects that it's going to be a one-sided video but a two-way conversation.

Morgan, however, thinks a little differently than mot of the world and uses the video chat to speak on Reid's level, that is, talk to him using sign language for most of it. It's quite a small gesture, as physical gestures go, but to Reid it's huge and it means the world.

The new function on his phone isn't only used to contact Morgan, on the contrary, he talks to the entire team, much to their pleasure; JJ always grinning and making sure he's consuming something more than just coffee or tea, Prentiss who thinks it's funny to speak to him in Russian while he signs back to her until Reid starts signing back in Russian, he even talks to Hotch who gets Jack in front of the screen and teaches him small things to sign to Reid. It's probably one of the most touching things Reid can think of and, begrudgingly, it's all thanks to technology.

There's still a special spot for video chatting with Morgan, however, and they sign for hours to each other and Reid is pretty solidly glued to his phone whenever he's separated from the rest of the team and, thus, civilization. It's quite embarrassing actually, he doesn't even realize that he's so addicted until he's at his local coffee shop, the one where the barista recognizes him and asks questions like 'Would you like some coffee with your sugar today?'.

It's nice to be treated like part of society even when she can't understand him without his pad of paper and he always makes an effort to print everything extra neat so that she can read it without trouble. Still it isn't until she's making him his caffeine fix that she makes an idle comment that jolts Reid into realization. "For someone who uses paper to communicate you're sure on you're phone a lot."

It's quite the wake-up call when she calls him out on it and, to his embarrassment, said phone is in his hand to call Morgan and ask if he wanted to go to dinner this evening. He shrugs a little helplessly and puts his phone back into his messenger bag to avoid any more embarrassing temptation.

He carefully prints back a response, something about work and commitment though he's not quite paying attention to what he's putting down, too wrapped up in the chaos running rampant in his mind.

Over dinner Reid relays to Morgan what happened at the coffee shop and he can tell that Morgan is trying desperately not to laugh. Instead Morgan simply says, "It makes sense, you don't think you can have the same luxuries as everyone else. But you can."

They move onto other topics and Reid feels a bit better about his new addiction. It's not the worst thing that's happened to him.

It's not often that Reid feels at a disadvantage, with boundless knowledge and an abundance of field experience Reid would consider himself fully functional and rather worldly. Well, north American worldly.

Regardless, it's been a long line of cases that Reid has been powering through and they finally return home and while the team all go their separate ways it is the nearest coffee shop that becomes Reid's first stop.

He scans the menu and finds the largest, sweetest coffee before proceeding to write out his order while standing a little off to the side. A man goes to squeeze past him to get to the bathroom but ends up knocking Reid who, not expecting it, lets go of his notebook and stumbles back a step.

The man apologizes, picking up Reid's notebook and reads the sentence that's scribbled down onto the page. He passes it back to Reid and reiterates his apology but this time he annunciates the way people do on TV when the person they're speaking to speaks a foreign language. Then, "I'll help you."

Reid is insulted, at best, and wants to tell the stranger that he's _mute_ not _deaf_ and that he doesn't need any help but his pen, too, had gone rolling into some corner of the café like his notebook had and he's stuck knowing the man before him doesn't know sign language. It is easy for the man to walk Reid who is both tired and frustrated the couple of steps up to the and order Reid's drink, leaning across the counter and barely lowering his voice to tell the barista that Reid can't speak.

There are very few moments in his life that Reid has wished to be a more physical being, he would classify this as one of those moments. The man turns back to Reid, who at this point is fuming, claps him on the shoulder and, speaking to Reid as though he's utterly useless, says, "You're welcome." Before walking away, leaving Reid standing there, tired, angry, caffeine-less, and defeated.

Paying for his coffee, Reid pulls out his phone, booting up the video chat function on it and calling Morgan and finding a table. The man is grinning though Reid can see that he, too, is exhausted and recognizes the shirt Morgan is wearing as one that he sleeps in. He feels bad about interrupting but he couldn't think to call anyone else.

Noticing Reid's expression Morgan sets his phone down and signs his concern through their connection. Also propping up his phone, Reid starts signing quickly and tersely, not wanting to have the whole conversation right now he simply asks if he can come over and Morgan, in his infinite understanding, simply says, "of course, pretty boy."

Along with his coffee Reid receives the look of pity that the barista gives him and he angrily huffs and walks out of there as calmly as he physically can.

Morgan is waiting when Reid arrives and the pajama's that Reid keeps at his house are out for Reid to change into. He ignores them and instead collapses onto Morgan's couch, the anger he felt before now turning into something that feels similar to how he thinks being useless feels like.

"Want to talk about it?"

Honestly he doesn't. Reid has never felt his age before because he's never _acted_ his age. People look down on him for his young face and he always overwrites their doubt with intelligence, confidence, and the official title of 'doctor' but now, now he can use none of it to his advantage and instead he's left with the only option to be as emotionally distraught as many others are in their early twenties.

He looks to Morgan and sees his friend, sees a man who is constantly there for him and knows just how capable Reid is. There's something in Reid that doesn't want him looking at Morgan as he speaks, so he turns to face the other man and, instead, looks at his hands and signs out his story.

There isn't a lot to tell of what actually occurred but Reid has a lot to say about his emotions on the matter, talking about how the man had manhandled Reid as though he was an invalid and left, taking it upon himself to congratulate his own ignorance as though it was his good deed for the day. Simultaneously Reid has never felt so used and so helpless.

If he's being entirely honest, Morgan doesn't know how to respond to this, doesn't know how to comfort Reid or what to say to make him feel more like himself, doesn't even know if the physical reassurance that Morgan is prone to would help or hinder after the way Reid had been manhandled. He doesn't even remotely know what it feels like to have someone do that to him.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." It feels inadequate but it's pretty much all he has to offer.

Reid shrugs, says nothing, he's acting like it was barely a bother to him though Morgan knows otherwise.

"It was very disrespectful of him." He tries again.

_It really was_. Reid finally answers and Morgan is baffled that anyone could think that Reid was helpless or incapable of doing anything. After all, how do they think he lives his life?

They're silent for a long time but it's comfortable and Reid leans into Morgan's personal space so he figures that it's okay to wrap an arm around him like he wanted to initially.

Morgan feels Reid sign his thanks into his chest and smiles, signing his own 'you're welcome' into Reid's back. _Tea?_

Shaking his head Reid pulls away and grabs at the pajamas still on the table. Morgan understands that Reid is tired, they both are and they're both in need of sleep and Reid is thankful that the coffee he got from the café tasted so awful that he hadn't had more than a sip of it before throwing it in the nearest garbage can.

All Reid really wants to do is change and go to sleep, the last case was not their greatest and the homecoming was somehow worse, but with all the bad that had been happening lately Reid's mind decided that it's probably best to add to it.

Reid's not about to play into its tricks though and drops the clothes he just picked up and turns to Morgan again. _Do I make you uncomfortable?_

"What do you mean?" Morgan's forehead is furrowed and Reid shifts uncomfortably, he's used to being so self-assured.

_Does the fact that I can't talk make you uncomfortable?_

Morgan laughs, standing up and looking at Reid as though he's an idiot, which, to be fair, he's kind of being one at the moment. "For someone who can't talk you certainly don't shut up." Reid gives Morgan this look; the one he uses when he thinks someone is avoiding the question or being purposefully obtuse. "No, you don't make me uncomfortable. Other people being ignorant make me uncomfortable. Being with you-" he shakes his head and lets out a puff of air. "-you make me feel happy."

_Same_.

* * *

**A/N:**Went a little off script with this but I'd like to add a personal shout out to phantomreg for your wondrous suggestions, they are much appreciated and without you or them there would not be this chapter today. Hope you liked it. Much obliged!

-_Reiver_


End file.
